05 Jan 2009
Let us presume A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON (Hare Krishna sect), got it all wrong here ... but who knows ... if nothing else, it leaves a snapshot from India in the 1970s. The two organizations maintain a friendly enough relationship both thinking the other is worshipping their own god and getting the philosophy all wrong. The Hare Krishnas probably don't accept that Lekhraj Kirpalani is going to be reincarnated at the the real Krishna and is Vishnu as the BK believe, don't know about it ... or just don't care.
Prabhupada was pretty dismissive of them in the 1970s, right before the third big failed prediction of Destruction event. Of course, he could be talking about "prostitution" on a spiritual or philosophical level, as in rich men "keeping" the Brahma Kumaris Sisters by have them installed in a center and paying for the upkeep. At this time, service in India was spreading and the established religions must have been feeling threatened. Who paid for all the BK centers? Rich Sindhi businessman have been a fairly common thread.
More recently on this forum we have heard about apparently non-too enlightened "patrons" of centers in India being looked after by surrendered Sisters as servants. I have no experience to qualify that but accept it in good faith.
Prabhupada was pretty dismissive of them in the 1970s, right before the third big failed prediction of Destruction event. Of course, he could be talking about "prostitution" on a spiritual or philosophical level, as in rich men "keeping" the Brahma Kumaris Sisters by have them installed in a center and paying for the upkeep. At this time, service in India was spreading and the established religions must have been feeling threatened. Who paid for all the BK centers? Rich Sindhi businessman have been a fairly common thread.
More recently on this forum we have heard about apparently non-too enlightened "patrons" of centers in India being looked after by surrendered Sisters as servants. I have no experience to qualify that but accept it in good faith.
From Frying Pan To The Fire Hyderabad, September 29, 1975 and here
Prabhupada: (Hindi) ... mandah, all bad men. Manda sumanda-matayah. And if he is supposed to be a good man, he will manufacture some mata, manda-mata, not approved by the sastras. This is going on. They will not hear Krsna. They will give quotation from Brahma-kumari. This is the greatest defect of modern civilization, that they won't accept real authority. They will create some authority. Or rascal, he becomes authority.
Especially in India, this is the drawback. In the Western countries they do not know much about this. Therefore they accept what I say. But here they bring so many. So such an important man, he is bringing authority, Brahma-kumari, a house of prostitution. If he is bringing their quotations as authority, then what to speak of others? [break] Just like that Christian convent house. They supply woman to rich men, and they supply money. That's all. This is Brahma-kumari.
Rich man, the same disease is there -- yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukha hi tuccham. So if they get facility for some maithuna, they will give you money. (Hindi) ... prostitute, for convent house. Hm? Brahmananda? Convent house? What is that convent house? It is not prostitution? That's all.
Brahmananda: Usually it's between the priests and the nuns.
Prabhupada: Unless one is actually spiritually situated, this material center of happiness, maithunadi, that will go anywhere. You give any color, spiritual or religious or political. You see? Why Gandhi's asrama failed? Do you know that? This is ... When Gandhi was in jail, when he came back he saw all pregnant. You did not know that?
Kartikeya: No, we imagined, but we don't have information.
Prabhupada: That what ... Gandhi said, "What is this asrama?"
...
Indian man (1): Including mother Desai and all, there were lot of complaints and countercomplaints.
Prabhupada: Yes. It cannot be. You cannot stop the sex unless you are fully in Krsna consciousness. It is not possible. And that is the material bondage. In the material prisonhouse they have got so many means-big, big walls, handcuff, chain -- but nature is so perfect that simply give you a beautiful woman, and you are all prisoner. Big wall, handcuff and chain -- everything is complete. I think I have discussed in my recent purports.
...
Prabhupada: So many. This tail, dog's tail. Either you become sannyasi or grhastha or anything, the tail is this side. You may grease it as much as possible, but the whole tendency is sex, that's all, in different dresses only. The objective is sex. This is going on. Some of them are openly declaring that "I am for sex," and some of them showbottle. But the objective is sex. This is the whole world. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha [Shiva Baba 7.9.45]. And the sannyasis like Rajneesh, they are advocating, "This is life -- sex. By sex indulgence you get salvation."
These Brahma-kumaris. Not brahmacari but Brahma-kumari. Kumaris are available very easily. And they keep. And the rich men, they are supplied with nice, beautiful Kumaris. They pay money. This is going on. Brahma-kumari. They enjoy and they invite the karmis to enjoy and get money. Kumari is there; money is there, that's all. Everywhere this is going on.
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